Color doppler imaging of orbital vessels: Personal experience and literature review

Abstract

Many Doppler imaging studies have been performed in recent years in a large number of ocular disorders because of improvements in the Doppler equipment used for detecting and measuring the low blood-flow velocities that are a requisite for the quantitative evaluation of blood flow in the orbital vessels. The ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery and vein, posterior ciliary arteries, and the superior ophthalmic vein can be easily identified using color Doppler sonography. The changes in local blood flow in these vessels assessed by spectral analysis pulsed Doppler sonography have been used to characterize and to obtain new insights into different nontumoral vascular disorders including carotid artery stenosis, central retinal vein occlusion, giant cell arteritis, glaucoma, diabetes, fistulas, and tumoral processes of the eye and orbit. Our experience has confirmed the important role of Doppler sonography in the assessment of subclinical changes in the vascular bed, in the understanding of different processes, for following up after specific treatments, and for determining the long-term prognosis of these various conditions.

Waveform of Ophthalmic Artery Doppler Flow Predicts the Severity of Systemic Atherosclerosis

“…5 Recently, novel OA Doppler findings have been used also in the clinic. 5 OA is representative of peripheral arteries and confers anatomical advantages for detecting Doppler flow because of the absence of ultrasonic-positive obstacles such as bones and fat tissues, the good sonolucency of the eyeball, and the near-vertical angle of OA to the transducer. Hemodynamic Doppler flow patterns may reflect peripheral vascular resistance.…”

“…Doppler imaging of the OA was recently made possible by improvements in Doppler equipment. 5 Changes in OA blood flow assessed on pulsed Doppler (OA Doppler) have provided new insights into various vascular disorders including ophthalmic diseases, carotid artery stenosis, and diabetes mellitus. 5 OA Doppler has particular anatomical advantages due to the absence of ultrasonic obstacles and the vertical angle, which differs from the parallel-signaling of carotid artery Doppler to the transducer.…”

“…5 Changes in OA blood flow assessed on pulsed Doppler (OA Doppler) have provided new insights into various vascular disorders including ophthalmic diseases, carotid artery stenosis, and diabetes mellitus. 5 OA Doppler has particular anatomical advantages due to the absence of ultrasonic obstacles and the vertical angle, which differs from the parallel-signaling of carotid artery Doppler to the transducer. Such findings in the ocular fundus are associated closely with systemic atherosclerosis, with previous reports showing that atherosclerotic changes in retinal arteries are potential markers of systemic cardiovascular disease.…”

Application of Orbital Sonography in Neurology

“…the optic nerve, the transducer is positioned a little on the temporal side and the patient is asked to try to look straight even with the eyes closed. Pressure on the globe should be as low as possible as this might result in a decrease in blood flow velocity of retro-orbital vessels (Tranquart et al 2003). The optic nerve presents as a hypoechogenic structure beyond the globe in this horizontal scanning plane and the optic disc and provides an anatomical landmark for the ultrasound examination (Fig.…”

Color Doppler imaging of the ophthalmic artery in patients with chronic heart failure

“…The blood flow of the ophthalmic artery during heart failure and its possible role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma has not yet been investigated. The color Doppler imaging is a noninvasive, fast and easy access ultrasound technique, used in ophthalmology practice to measure the blood flow velocity of the orbital vessels (1)(2)(3)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blood flow of the ophthalmic artery in patients with chronic heart failure using color Doppler imaging.…”